How does United Way impact Douglas County?
- Funds a wide range of agencies to better serve the community
- Carefully evaluates needs and services so that charitable dollars are used effectively
- Supports collaborative projects so that new initiatives like Skill Builders are created
- Manages the Volunteer Center so that volunteerism increases
- Operates the Human Service Center so that agencies operate more efficiently
- Implements the Fairy Godmother Fund so that women in crisis are assisted
Community Impact
The United Way partners with 29 Community Partners to impact important community needs in three goal areas. The impact goal areas are:
2. Health
The Health Goal Action Plan will be developed by Community Partners in 2012. Click here to view applications for 2012 funding online.
3. Self Sufficiency
The Self Sufficiency Goal Action Plan will be developed by Community Partners in 2013. Click here to view applications for 2012/2013 funding online.
 United Way Education Goal Talking Points—January 2012 Click here to download
Q1. What is different about Community Impact?
United Way mobilized community knowledge through surveys and focus groups and community data to identify measurable Community Goals to be accomplished within human services. We believe that by identifying and measuring Community Goals, we can significantly improve lives by addressing some of the challenges that keep our most vulnerable residents from being successful. The goals adopted are:
EDUCATION: Children & teens are successful in school
SELF SUFFICIENCY: People maintain steady jobs & financial stability
HEALTH: People of all ages have access to mental & physical health care
The United Way remains committed to SAFETY NET SERVICES such as food, shelter, rent, utilities
and crisis response as they impact progress on the goals.
Q2. Why make the transformation?
Now, more than ever, nonprofit social services agencies need support as traditional funding sources decrease or disappear. In this changing environment, our local support system needs to think differently about how we address the human service needs of our community. A united, collaborative effort with a common agenda is required to solve complex problems, and United Way is uniquely positioned to support that effort.
Q3. How will United Way allocate funds to these goals?
Because of the large scope of this transformation, United Way is working with one goal at a time over the next 3 years. The United Way Board will direct 36% of non-designated funds raised in the 2011-2012 campaign to the Education Goal. Remaining funds will be allocated to Community Partners addressing the goals of Health and Self Sufficiency, which include Safety Net Services.
To deliver services in each of these areas, the United Way Board has approved twenty-nine Community Partners who are eligible for funding. These Community Partners have been developing the plan and have self identified one or more Community Goals to address.
Q4. What are the dates for collaborative funding for each of these Community Goals?
2012: EDUCATION Goal (2012—2014).
2013: SELF SUFFICIENCY Goal (2013—2015).
2014: HEALTH Goal (2014—2016).
Throughout the process, workgroups in each of these areas will review outcomes, adapt the plans, and engage partners who will help the community make progress on the goals. At the completion of each funding cycle, these United Way workgroups will assess progress toward the goal, reaffirm, or adjust the goal and continue to move ahead.
Q5. What are United Way’s criteria for funding the 2012 Education Action Plans?
- Collaborative and coordinated for effective engagement of the community to create positive systemic change
- High likelihood of success and sustainability
- Significant impact of number of people served & outcomes achieved
- Meet Education Goal program standards including:
- Be accessible and culturally sensitive
- Have quality, trained staff and volunteers working with youth
- Be developmentally appropriate
- Be evaluated and research-based with measureable program indicators
- Focus on serving low-moderate income children and teens
- Have program curriculum consistent with state curriculum standards
Q6. What is the structure of the Education Goal?
The Education Goal has initially identified three target indicators to measure progress towards meeting the goal:
Kindergarten Readiness as determined by DIBELS (meets criteria-recommended for funding). Action Plan includes:
- Kansas Quality Rating Improvement Scale for 24 programs
- Quality, affordable child care
- Support for childcare providers
- Parent facilitator at targeted center
5th Grade Reading and Math Proficiency (meets criteria-recommended for funding). Action plan includes:
- Academically enriching afterschool programming
- Mentoring programs to provide social and emotional support
- Pilot Project providing family & student support at an eastside elementary school
- Training opportunities for volunteers working with children
High School Graduation (Action Plan includes above activities but older youth action plan is still under development. United Way will continue to work with our community partners in this area to better understand what needs to happen to address this or other indicators leading to high school graduation.)
Q7. What organizations have participated in the Education Goal?
Ballard Community Services
Big Brothers Big Sisters
Boy Scouts of America
Boys and Girls Club
Child Care Aware of NE & NC KS
Communities in Schools in Kansas
Dg Co AIDS Project
Dg Co CASA
Dg Co Child Development Assoc.
ECKAN
GaDuGi SafeCenter
Girl Scouts
Headquarters Counseling
Lawrence Arts Center
Lawrence Dg Co Health Department
Lawrence Public Schools
Kennedy Elementary
Lawrence Schools Foundation
Salvation Army
Student Financial Aid Services
Success by 6 Coalition of Dg Co
The Arc of Dg Co
KU School of Social Welfare
Van Go, Inc.
Willow Domestic Violence Center
Q8. If a Community Partner does not receive funding through the Education Goal, are they still eligible for United Way support? Yes! Community Partners will still receive funds designated to their organizations by United Way donors. They are also eligible to complete the application process under the Health and Self Sufficiency goals, which include funding for Safety Net Services.
The Community Impact Fund encourages collaboration between Community Partners and other community organizations to address community needs.
Prior Recipients:
Wednesdays at Liberty Hall: A Community Initiative to Improve Adolescent Health Promoting Healthy Choices, Voices, and Relationships," is the implementation of a citywide prevention education program building on the strengths of the community and the power of teens through learning opportunities that promote positive development while enhancing the teen connection to their community.
Wednesdays at Liberty Hall was created to address the community need for safe, structured, and supervised activities for teens grades 7-9th downtown on early release Wednesdays. This program was managed by GaDuGi SafeCenter, a United Way Partner Agency. This program ran from 2005--2008, helping hundreds of youth use their Wednesdays in an educational way.
Skill Builders Program: A series of programs on a variety of topics designed to assist widows and widowers with daily living. Program session content includes teaching skills such as cooking for one, car repairs and financial changes. More importantly, Skill Builders provides emotional and grief support. This program is managed by Douglas County Visiting Nurses, Rehabilitation and Hospice Care, a United Way Partner Agency. This program will run from 2008-2009.
Prosperity Partners: A (12) partner collaboration that will work with individuals and households to increase family self sufficiency in Douglas County by providing concentrated, volunteer-led educational services that assist families experiencing financial instability and coordinating existing services to maximize their effect in overcoming economic instability. This program will run from 2009-2010.
United Way of Douglas County Community Impact Talking Points
History:
United Way is committed to working to strengthen Douglas County. For over 65 years we have supported critical programs and agencies helping thousands of people. As we continue to help strengthen our community, we will be more creative in how we do this. For years it worked to function as a conduit for donors to give to important organizations. We believe that our greatest value builds on our strength of being a charitable giving conduit. United Way is focused on maintaining our value as a great investment for Douglas County.
Commitment:
While we will not abandon our partnerships with great agencies in Douglas County, it is vital that we seek out opportunities where we can realize significant impact on our community and its residents. In our history, we have responded to opportunities with the creation of the Roger Hill Volunteer Center, Fairy Godmother Fund and the United Way Center for Human Services. Over the last three years United Way has awarded Community Impact Grants to Wednesdays at Liberty Hall and SkillBuilders. We believe there are more opportunities in the community that can strengthen our collective capacity to respond to Douglas County needs.
Challenge:
United Way is trying to further define mechanisms to effectively and proactively support efforts that are addressing systemic issues facing our community. To do this, the United Way of Douglas County Board is inviting partner agencies to help us better refine our community impact grant and allocations process so that we can foster collaboration and achieve additional impact in our community.
Next Steps:
United Way will award a community impact grant under the Education Goal in 2012 and reviewing our allocations proposal format and process for Community Partners addressing the Self Sufficiency and Health Goals and Safety Net Services. In doing this, we are working with and inviting all United Way partners to provide insights and ideas regarding this important evolutionary endeavor.
Please address any questions to: Erika Dvorske, President/CEO, United Way, 2518 Ridge Court, Lawrence, Kansas.
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